Will Next Two Avengers Films Cost $1 Billion?

Such is the case with the Marvel cinematic universe, which has earned nearly $11 billion worldwide across its 14 releases to date.

However, even for Marvel Studios, reports the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War and its untitled sequel have a $1 billion budget allotted for their back-to-back production feel a bit excessive.

For the sake of comparison, the previous two Avengers films, 2012’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron reportedly cost $220 million and $250 million, respectively. This means the next two installments featuring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would essentially see the average production cost double.

Moreover, the twin Marvel releases will break the record for the most expensive film ever made, currently held by Avatar‘s $425 million price tag.

The news regarding the $1 billion production broke at a recent African-American Film Critics Association luncheon, with the Atlanta Business Chronicle reporting that Pinewood Atlanta Studios co-owner Dan Cathy dropped the number in regard to a production happening on the lot.

Cathy – who also is chief executive of fast-food giant Chick-fil-A – was contractually unable to disclose the film’s name, but fans know Infinity War and its follow-up are currently filming at Pinewood, where several previous Marvel films have been shot.

Considering the epic scope of at least Infinity War (we still don’t know what the second film will cover), it makes sense the third Avengers outing will be the most expensive Marvel Studios release to date. After all, it is expected to feature the culmination of Thanos’ pursuit of the Infinity Gauntlet, and to unite nearly all of the heroes established in the Marvel cinematic universe. Potentially even some from the company’s popular Netflix series.

That’s a lot of actors’ paychecks to consider and, moreover, tons of post-production visual effects work to render.

So, while this $1 billion investment seems like a hefty price to pay, the fact remains these films are at their most successful when they feature ensemble casts.

The two previous Avengers films and last year’s Captain America: Civil War – all of which feature several solo franchise leads sharing the screen – are three of the four highest-grossing films Marvel has released.

After setting the stage for a major throwdown with intergalactic baddie Thanos in The Avengers, both hardcore fans and casual moviegoers alike surely will turn out to see Infinity War play out.

Bottom line: if $1 billion is what the team at Marvel feels it needs to spend on these next two films, they are sure to more than make their money back regardless.

Robert Yaniz Jr.

A professional writer since 2003 and a student of pop culture long before that, Robert has written hundreds of news articles, features and reviews on the entertainment world for various media outlets. When he's not relishing in the arts or writing about them, he can usually be found enduring the cries of his infant daughter alongside his wife.